Fast route to promotion for Cathay pilots

Cathay Pacific is offering a "fast track" for pilots to be promoted by asking second officers to apply for first officer positions with subsidiary HK Express.

Pilots can work as first officers for the budget airline for about two years and will later have the option to rejoin Cathay as first officers.

This came after The Standard reported last week that pilots are frustrated because they have been deprived of promotion to first officers.

Cathay said it has been increasing its training capacity to recertify and provide promotion opportunities for pilots.

The new arrangement provides an additional career path that enables pilots to commence first officer training earlier, the airline said.

"This voluntary initiative complements our planned pilot training program, and is an exciting additional opportunity for our second officers to enhance their career development," said director of flight operations Chris Kempis. "It is a win-win initiative that also provides HK Express with the pilots it needs in the short term."

HK Express chief executive Jeanette Mao Jie-qiong said the airline has been rapidly growing its network and its flight frequency has already exceeded prepandemic levels.

"While we continue to recruit pilots from Hong Kong and overseas, this arrangement will further support our growth trajectory, providing more promotion opportunities for our current first officers to become captains. This is a welcome boost that benefits both airlines and our pilot communities," she said.

But Cathay pilots will have to adapt to a different flying schedule as HK Express only operates short-haul flights to Asian destinations.

Cathay said it is "actively rebuilding to strengthen Hong Kong as an international aviation hub." It expects to reach 70 percent of prepandemic passenger capacity by year-end and full resumption by end-2024.

HK Express said in March it will expand its fleet and increase the number of destinations to 30 from 20 by year-end.

The budget airline plans to recruit 500 more staff this year, including 180 pilots and 300 flight attendants.

Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association head Paul Weatherilt said the new arrangement appears to involve a "training bond." He added: "It isn't clear how the package compares with Cathay's package for second officers, nor what the path of return to the CX main line operation will entail."

But Weatherilt said it is reasonable for the airlines to provide an additional development pathway for younger pilots as both have a large narrow-body aircraft fleet.

"However, Cathay is still very short of experienced pilots, particularly captains, and it will take years to replace this experience," he said.

Weatherilt said some second officers at Cathay will be interested in the new promotion path as they do not have chances to fly at the moment due to the shortage of captains and flights.

"Pilots love to fly and many second officers have been unable to fly because Cathay has mismanaged its pilots, resulting in the company having less than half the number of captains it had prepandemic. Because of this, flight capacity is reduced and many second officers remain grounded," he said.

The airline has hired over 100 direct-entry first officers with experience outside Hong Kong, accounting for 10 percent of its first officers, to save training costs, Weatherilt said.

He said it can be challenging for second officers with less experience if they miss out on the promotion.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com